Bigger and brighter: Spokane Valley Library to reopen in new location Saturday

The Spokane Valley Library is opening in a new building and location on Saturday.

The building is located on 22 N. Herald Road in Spokane Valley, surrounded by other community spaces such as an upcoming expansion of Balfour Park on an adjacent lot and City Hall across the street.

Constructed under the district’s $15 million budget, the project was financed through a $9 million loan from the Washington State Treasurer, the library’s savings, a grant and contributions from the City of Spokane Valley and private donors.

Staff closed the library’s previous location on Main avenue earlier this month and will be cutting the ribbon on the new building Saturday at 9:30 a.m., with the grand opening at 10 a.m.

Built in 1955, the older building was in need of an upgrade, said Jane Baker, communication and development director at Spokane County Library District.

“It’s been remodeled a couple times over the years, but we’re flat out of space,” she said. “We can’t expand it any further. We’re basically landlocked.”

The new building, at 28,000 square feet, offers 20% more public space with an open floor plan, high ceilings and walls of windows to let in plenty of natural light, providing a luminous, “warm and welcoming” space for visitors.

As required by a grant, staff are pursuing LEED Silver certification, which involves energy efficiency in heating, cooling, lighting and water use. As well as being eco-friendly, energy efficiency keeps operational costs low, Baker said.

“It is our intention to be as environmentally conscious as possible, plus we want healthy air and efficient systems so we’re using the taxpayer dollar the best way, as well as providing a healthy environment,” Baker said.

The landscaping also contributes to the certification. Surrounding plants are native to the area and drought-resistant, requiring less water and maintenance than a lawn would.

The open floor plan was intentional, as library patrons’ needs will change overtime, SCLD Executive Director Patrick Roewe said.

The cone-shaped light fixtures are designed to carry sound up and away from library patrons. Kids at play in one end of the open space won’t disturb focused readers at the other.

“Libraries are busy and active places,” Roewe said. “We wanted to keep it a busy space for kids, while also keeping a quiet place for reading.”

Additional features include the STCU studio, equipped with cameras, microphones, backdrops, a soundboard and everything else a person needs to produce podcasts, videos or music.

The Diane E. Zahand community room, named in memory of a local teacher, accommodates 200 people and can be divided in two. One side is intended to be used for notoriously messy children’s programs, made of hard surfaces for easy cleanup.

Attached to the library is a garage, sheltering two mini libraries on wheels: a sprinter van and a larger $470,000 hybrid van, called LINC, or Libraries In Neighborhoods and Communities. Operating for over a year, LINC has a printer, Wi-Fi and a substantial collection of popular books, movies and CDs.

Staff are excited for the public to come use the space, which has been years in the making.

“A lot of times, people wait outside the door for the library to open anyways,” Baker said. “I want to see that on steroids on Saturday.”